Diary of a Grand Dame

Posted 5 April, 2011

Posted 30 September, 2010

We have some very, very exciting news!

Breakfasts have always been made with love and a certain flair at Schoone Oordt. Now, dinners will be too. Koornlands Restaurant, one of the top eateries in Swellendam, has moved to our own gorgeous conservatory and will be serving the most scrumptious fusion of Cape Country and European cuisine in the evenings.

This is great news for Schoone Oordt guests as we can now offer a dinner, bed and breakfast option!

We had a tiny little launch party to introduce the new venue to Koornlands patrons, which I think went rather well. Everybody had a glass of bubbles and some snackies and the conservatory buzzed nicely.

Have a look at Koornlands’ existing web-site for their delectable menu www.koornlandsrestaurant.co.za…. We plan to take some good foodie pictures and update both of our sites, but for now, here is a tidbit…

Posted 16 July, 2010

Richard and I met Karen and Brian at Phantom Forest www.phantomforest.co.za in Knysna about 7 years ago. Kai (our son) was just on a year and Richard and I had snuck away to celebrate his birthday (Richards, not Kais) and spend some time together for the first time since baby was born. Well, celebrate we did into the wee hours of the morning with the fabulous Karen and Brian.

All through the renovating and building of Schoone Oordt, we had kept in contact and theyd promised to visit as soon as they could. With the Soccer World Cup as a perfect excuse, they came to spend a few days with us. We had a wonderful time. They are the funniest, smartest, most special people and we loved having them here.

They very kindly wrote this in the visitors book… A big Thank You to Ali, Richard, family and staff for making our stay ...

Posted 29 April, 2010

Gill, Gideon & Jake came to spend a weekend with us about a week ago with a view to networking and experiencing each other’s properties. It’s always a good thing to chat about ideas and brainstorm a little with people in the same industry. I firmly believe in working together to encourage both local and international visitors to explore our beautiful country rather than being competitive. It’s also just lekker to talk about and share experiences.

What beautiful people. I fell completely in love with Jake, who is the most confident and gorgeous little boy. Gill & Gideon are down-to-earth, real, wonderful people and perfectionists to boot.

Their guesthouse is stunning! Have a look at www.clifflodge.co.za. Great place to spend two nights on the coast either on your way back or on your way to Cape Town and of course, one of the best places to spot whales in (whale) season. Make absolutely ...